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Show Proper Feeding of Dairy Calves Both Art, Science Feeding dairy calves Is both an art and a science. It requires know how and experience. One successful Utah dairyman stated, "How those calves are raised to provide replacements for the herd means the difference to me between profit and loss, bet ween success and failure in the dairy business. We constantly must keep in mind that we are dealing with a new-born baby that is highly susceptible to indigestion and infections." Dr, George E. Stoddard, head, Department of Dairy Science, Utah State University, says to avoid digestive troubles, one rule is paramount; never overfeed milk or fluids to the calf, especially at a young age. The temperature of the milk is not critical. Though most successful dairymen prefer to feed it about body temperature, others have had equally good success feeding it cold. Whichever you choose to use, be consistent. He says your calves are apt to have less gastric upsets if you feed them with nipple pails or nipple bottles than if you feed them with open pails. Be careful to properly clean and store all equipment after each feeding. The most important feeding of the calf's life will do most to save its life. That's a feeding of colostrum soon after birth. The calf may suckle it or you may milk it out and feed it to the calf. Hemember that colostrum contains important antibodies to protect the calf against local disease organisms. The calf can absorb these into its system for 12 hours or more after birth if this is the first feed it has consumed. Colostrum is also high in vitamin A or carotene and other nutrients and it promotes normal function of the intestinal tract. That colostrum not I needed for the newborn calf I may be diluted with equal parts of water and fed to other non- weaned calves. You may freeze some for later use with calves whose mothers do not provide any colostrum. Feed the calf about four I quarts of milk and or colostrum I daily, depending on its size. I Most dairymen use two j feedings a day. But research at I the USU Dairy Farm has shown j that calves will do well when fed J once a day if the feeding is I properly managed. Other research and ex- perience has shown that you I may be able to obtain sub-I stantial savings by substituting ! other feeds for milk if you do it with caution. These feeds in- elude commercial milk I replacer, some non-salable I milk that is sour or contains an antibiotic residue but is not 3 gargety or clabbered, and I colostrum that has been permitted to ferment. Other I research has shown that "pickled" colostrum can be fed B successfully if it is diluted with 1 equal parts of water just before feeding and fed at rates suggested for milk or milk replacer. Begin soon to feed a nutritious dry calf starter supplement of about 18 to 20 percent protein. Give it to the calf free choice up to a maximum of Five pounds daily. At about one month of age you may start adding a simple grain mix and still get good growth on the calf. Increase the proportion of grain until it has totally replaced the starter when the calf is about four months of age. Five pounds of the supplement is sufficient for growth. If the heifers are growing well, you can gradually SOOOOOOOOOOOOK remove the grain mix from their diet at about 10 months of age. Starting the week of birth, you may feed good quality alfalfa hay free choice. During the pasture season, you may permit the calves to graze pastures, if you provide them access to alfalfa hay, and feed the milk or milk substitute, calf starter and grain as previously described. Don't overlook the importance of water. During cool weather, milk may supply XXJOOOOOOOOOOOOC sufficient water. During hot weather, give the calves supplemental water between feedings until water is available free choice. Get the calves accustomed to free access to water during or shortly after the milk-feeding period. Dr. Stoddard said these .suggestions apply in the feeding of dairy calves under normal conditions. If the disease level and calf losses are high, you may have to feed antibiotics and take other necessary measures along with the feeding. ooooexxxsoooood |